Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 36F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..
Mostly clear. Low 13F. Winds light and variable.
WHITE BEAR LAKE — Patrons of sidewalk cafes will be able to sip a beverage from a glass container, instead of plastic cups, as early as 7 a.m., come April.
The rules are part of a new ordinance that permits outdoor seating for restaurants and bars in public rights of way.
Staff was getting requests to continue the use of public right of way for outdoor seating post-pandemic and since there were no guidelines on how to fairly consider such requests, codified a process at the direction of City Council.
Adopted by council Feb. 28, the permitting process was tweaked in the second reading to include a few changes. Instead of 8 a.m., hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and opening day is not May 15, but April 15, although a clause was added giving the city manager authority to adjust the season as weather warrants.
Sidewalk cafes must abide by certain occupancy, maintenance and cleanliness provisions. Food preparation is not allowed in the outdoor seating area, nor is smoking. A provision that requires establishments that serve alcohol to be contiguous to the business site was also nixed in the final wording.
Furniture, too, got some attention in the final version of the ordinance.
The first reading prohibited furniture made of plastic, unfinished wood or pressure-treated wood. Public Works Director Paul Kauppi explained that heavy furniture won’t get blown around on a windy day so the city wanted nonplastic, durable tables and chairs. Treated wood, he added, can stain the sidewalk.
Council Member Dan Jones pointed out that composite material, while durable, is expensive, with a chair costing $250 and up. He suggested giving outdoor café owners a year grace period to acquire the right furniture.
Mayor Dan Louismet said he didn’t care if wood was unfinished or pressure treated. “I don’t recall Cobblestone’s plastic chairs getting scattered around Washington Square on a Saturday morning,” he observed. “I don’t want to force businesses to spend $8,000 on patio equipment.”
The mayor suggested amending the resolution to require furniture be made of “durable material,” and leave it at that. Council members agreed.
It was also Louismet who wanted to remove a prohibition on glass drinkware. “Let’s allow glass and see if it’s a problem,” he suggested. Again, council members approved.
Other stipulations include at least a 4-foot-wide unobstructed pedestrian corridor with stanchions or other portable barriers between the approved sidewalk café area and the remainder of the public sidewalk whenever the café is in use.
To offset permit processing costs, staff recommended an initial application fee of $150 and a renewal fee of $60, provided there are no changes to site design. Those prices will be finalized at a later date and be part of the city’s fee schedule.
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.